Apparatus for applying decoration to eraser tipped pencils



H. ZOLL- 2,228,430

APPARATUS FOR hPPLYING DECORATION TO EIRASER TIPPED PENGILS Jan. 14,1941.

' Filed Sept. 20, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 1 NTOR ' BY ATI'ZNEY INVE H. ZOLLJan. 14, 1941.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING nmcorwnon T0 ER'ASER TIPPED PENCILS I 2Sheets-Sheet 2= Filed Sept. 20, 1939 j. J e

' ORNEY Patented Jan. 1.4, 1941' PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS APPLYINGDECORATION TO ERASEB. TIPPED PENCILS Henry Zoii, Eimhurst, N. Y.,assignor to Eberhard Faber Pencil 00., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation oiNew York Application September ZO, 1939, Serial No. 295,731

4 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No.221,057 flied July 25, 1938, now Patent No. 2,180,132, and the inventionrelates particularly to an eraser-tipped pencil,

5 which includes a wood'sheathed lead pencil or the case of a mechanicalpencil, having a block of erasive material secured to one end thereof.Heretofore it has been common practice to .attach an erasive block to alead pencil by means I of a metallic ferrule having one end secured onthe pencil and the other end forming a socket in which the erasive blockis fitted. My present invention contemplates the attachment of theerasive block directly to.the end of the lead pencil or a tenon onthe-pencil such as described and claimed'in'my aforesaid PatentNo.'2,180,132.

One object of the present invention is to provide novel and improvedapparatus for applying a decoration to such a combined pencil anderasive tip, preferably adjacent the zone of junc-' ture of the tip withthe pencil, for example a simulation of a socket element or ferruleattached to the pencil and supporting the erasive tip, whereby theappearance of the combination shall be enhanced without substantialincrease in cost of production and without the necessity of additionalferrules or otherparts.

Other. objects are to provide apparatus for use in applying decorationsof the character described to an eraser-tipped pencil, which shallinclude a novel and improved, simple and inexpensive combination of aholder and a mask for the pencil whereby a liquid coating material canbe easily and quickly applied to the pencil to form vantages and resultsas'will appear from the following description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which- I Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofan erasertipped pencil embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the erasive blockand the end of the pencil to which it is applied;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the the desired decoration;and to obtain other adon the line 1-1 of Figure 6 in side elevation.

Specifically describing the invention, the refershowing the pencil encecharacter A designates a stall, a shaft or rod of suitable materiahforexample a wooden .5 sheathed lead pencil or the casing of a mechanicalpencil. At one end the stall has a cylindrical portion i which forms ashoulder 2 between the" reduced portion and the mainportion of thestaff. Mounted on the reduced portion I is an erasive lo tip 3 which isin the form of a cylindrical or other suitably shaped block of elasticerasive material such as is commonly used 'on lead pencils;

In accordance with the invention, a suitable decoration is applied tothe eraser-tipped pencil, 16 preferably at the zone of juncture of theouter surfaces of the erasive block and the pencil. As shown, thedecoration comprises a layer 5 of liquid coating composition whichsimulates the usual metallic ferrule that is utilized for attach 20 ingan erasive tip to a pencil. The form and location of the layer of liquidcoating composition may be varied widely to produce different decorativeeffects, and any, suitable composition such as lacquer as enamel may beutilized.

The invention is directed particularly to the application of adecoration to an article of this general character, for example, tosimulate a ferrule on a pencil having an erasive tip by spraying liquidcoating compositions on the surface of an article such as a pencil andthe tip, preferably at the zone of juncture thereof. In accordance withthe invention, the article or pencil A may be inserted into a maskingholder B, such as a tube, with a portion of the pencil above the end ofthe holder exposed as at C in Figure 4. A masking cap D is applied overthe end of the article or the erasive tip in spaced relation to the endof the holder B so as to leave portions of the pencil and the erasivetip exposed between the ends 40 of the holderv B and the cap D. Thenliquid coating composition is sprayed on the exposed surfaces 01' thepencil and the erasive tip by means of suitable spraying nozzles E.

., As shown in Figure 4, the masking cap D may 4 have perforations F,and irregular edges G to provide different decorative effects. Anotherform of the invention is shown in Figure 5 where the masking holder Hfor the pencil may comprise a block of material having a plu rality ofopeningsl, one for each of a number of pencils, and the cap for maskingthe erasive tip may be in the form of a sheet or disc K formedwithholes, disposed in spaced relation to the end of the block H. Theliquid coating composition is then sprayed on the pencil and eras'ivetip between the end surface of the block H and the sheet K. Instead ofthe block H, I may use another sheet or disc like the sheet or disc K. Ihave also provided a simple, inexpensive and convenient apparatus foruse in applying decorative coatings which are hereinbefore described.one form of said apparatus being illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of thedrawings and comprising a holder including a base 6 and a top bar 7disposed in spaced superposed relation to the base and supported byvertical standards 8. The top piece 1 has a plurality of tubularopenings 9 therethrough, said openings being preferably formed by tubesl secured in the top piece and projecting upwardly therefrom.

In operation of the apparatus so far described,

a pencil or other article to be decorated is slipped through each of thetubes i c with one end resting upon the top of the base 6 and the otherend projecting beyond the upper end of the corresponding tube It. Thedistance between the top of the base 6 and the upper ends of the tubesto preferably will be such that when the pencils are mounted in theapparatus, the ends of the tubes form one boundary for the decoration tobe applied. The other boundary of the decoration may be formed by asuitable masking cap I I, corresponding to the cap-D, or by a sheet suchas the sheet K having an opening for each of the pencils.

After the pencils have been mounted in the holder with the masking capsII or sheet K applied thereto, the liquid coating composition is sprayedas by the nozzles E upon the portions of the pencil and erasive tip thatare exposed between the ends of the tubes l0 and the masking caps i l orsheet' K. Either the holder may be moved longitudinally through the jetsfrom the nozzles E or the nozzles may be moved longitudinally of theholder so as to spray all of the articles in the holder in oneoperation.

It will be observed that the pencils are automatically located in properposition for formation of the decorative coating at the desired point,simply by dropping the pencils endwise through the tubes Ml until theends of the pencils abut the base 8 of the holder. The caps ll may beapplied to the erasive tips either before or after the pencils have beeninserted in the holder.

Various modifications and changes in the details of structure of thecombined pencil and erasivetip and in the method of and apparatus fordecorating the combination, will occur to those skilled in the art aswithin the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for applying decorative bands of liquid coating compositionto a pencil or the like,

comprising a; holder including a part having an opening to support saidpencil and mask a portion thereof with a portion of the pencilprojecting beyond said part of the holder and exposed, and a masking capto be applied over said projecting portion of the pencil in spacedrelation to said part of the holder. v

2. Apparatus for applying decorative bands of liquid coating compositionto a pencil or the like, comprising a holder including a part having anopening to support said pencil and mask a portion thereof with a portionof the pencil projecting beyond said part of the holder and exposed, and

a masking cap to be applied over said projecting portion of the pencilin spaced relation to said part of the holder, and means for sprayingliquid coating composition on said exposed portion of the pencil betweensaid part of the holder and said masking cap.

, 3. Apparatus for applying decorative bands of liquid coatingcomposition to a pencil or the like, comprising a holder having anopening to loosely receive and support a pencil, means for maskingspaced portions of said pencil and permitting exposure of the pencilbetween said masked portions, and means for spraying liquid coatingcomposition on said exposed portion while said pencil is so supported insaid holder.

4. Apparatus for applying decorative bands of liquid coating compositionto a pencil or the like, comprising a holder including a part having anopening to receive and support a pencil and mask a portion thereof,means to limit insertion of said pencil into said opening to cause aportion of the pencil to project a predetermined distance beyond saidpart of the holder in exposed position, and a masking cap to be appliedover said projecting portion of the pencil in spaced relation to saidpart of the holder.

.- HENRY ZOLL.

